Michiel Maddersteg

Pleasure yacht for King Friedrich I in Prussia; Engraving by Johann Georg Wolfgang after a painting by Michiel Maddersteg

Cuervorstlijcke Scheepsbouverij tot Havelbergh ; Engraving by Oldenbourg after a painting by Maddersteg

Michiel Maddersteg (* 1662 in Enkhuizen ; † 1709 in Berlin ) was a Dutch artist in the service of Brandenburg.

Life

Little is known about his life. Scientific publications on the biography are not known. But since it is placed in Ludolf Bakhuizen's artistic environment by contemporary authors , it has always been treated as well. Most of the information in Arnold Houbraken , et al. a. he was born in Amsterdam are wrong but are still used. He is also said to have died in Amsterdam, in fact he died in Berlin. The exact dates of birth and death are also unknown. However, there is evidence that he was baptized in Enkhuizen in 1662. In his marriage record from 1699 it is stated that he is 36 years old. He had married Maria Otter, who at the time of her death in 1743 owned a small share in a packing house on Bickerseiland . This investment is possibly the one mentioned by Houbraken as Maddersteg's merchants. In the wedding file he calls himself "painter of the elector" and receives 1000 thalers a year. Nothing is known about other family members or relatives.

plant

Just like his life, Maddersteg's work has also been little explored. He uses the signature "MM" on his paintings. Art history research is amazed at the admiration from Houbraken. He thinks he is Bakhuizen's best student. In contrast to this, art historians see clear weaknesses in the representations of the clouds. No works are known in the Netherlands and in Germany most of them are in Schloss Caputh and Schloss Oranienburg .

In addition to this painting practice, Maddersteg also dealt with shipbuilding projects. In 1704 he had a yacht 82 feet long and 23 feet wide built. The design came from him and was selected by the king from four designs. He is said to have received the amount of 100,000 thalers for this.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ In all reference works and biographical sketches, the year of birth is given as 1659, but the source is unclear  ( page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. ]. Houbraken leads again this year. In contrast, the marriage certificate from 1699 states that he is 39 years old. His baptism is also documented in Enkhuizen for 1662. However, how old he was at the time of baptism is unknown. Therefore, contrary to the literature, this year was stated.  
2. ↑ Gemeentearchief Amsterdam, Collaterale Successie 5046, No. 14
3. ↑ [1] (PDF; 4.8 MB) Baptismal register for Enkhuizen, entry on January 5, 1662
4. ↑ Gemeentearchief Amsterdam, doop-, trouw, en begraafboeken 530, bladzijde 292
5. ↑ de Beer, Backhuysen, p. 213
6. ^ List of the works known at the Institut Rijksbureau voor Kunsthistorische Documentatie

literature

• Gerlinde de Beer: His life and work Ludolf Backhuysen (1630-1708) . Zwolle 2002. ISBN 90-400-9502-7 .
• Laurens J. Bol: Dutch marine painting of the 17th century . Braunschweig 1973.
• Lionel from Donop :  Maddersteg, Michael . In: Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (ADB). Volume 20, Duncker & Humblot, Leipzig 1884, p. 30.

Web links

• Official homepage of the Caputh Palace of the Prussian Palaces and Gardens Foundation Berlin Brandenburg
• Entry by Arnold Houbraken: De groote schouburgh der Nederlantsche konstschilders en schilderessen The Hague 1753 ; Digitization, Digital Library for the Netherlands (dbnl)
• Hans Bohrdt: Lustjachten der Hohenzollern , in: Hohenzollern-Jahrbuch 1899 PDF, 8 MB; Digitized version of the Central and State Library Berlin